综合报告洞见4.0：当前进展（英文版）_33页_1mb

Summary of ACCA's Insights into Integrated Reporting 4.0: The Story So Far

About ACCA

ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is a global professional body with 219,000 members and 527,000 students across 179 countries. It is committed to developing a strong global accountancy profession that supports both private and public sectors, promotes public trust, and ensures ethical and professional standards. ACCA plays a key role in advancing integrated reporting, believing it is essential for providing a comprehensive view of an organisation's performance and value creation across multiple capitals.

Core Content and Purpose

This report provides an analysis of integrated reporting practices among 48 members of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) Business Network, based on reviews conducted in 2019. It compares these findings with similar reviews from 2016 to highlight the development and current state of integrated reporting over four years. The goal is to improve the quality of integrated reporting and assist companies that are beginning to adopt the IIRC Framework.

Main Trends and Developments

1. Characteristics of the Reports

• Increased Use of the Term 'Integrated Report': The percentage of reports labeled as integrated reports has grown steadily over the years, indicating broader recognition of the concept.
• Adoption of the IIRC Framework: A higher proportion of reports now explicitly state they follow the IIRC Framework, reflecting its growing influence.
• Reference to Other Protocols: Companies increasingly reference other standards and frameworks alongside the IIRC Framework, such as GRI, TCFD, and UN SDGs.
• Conciseness: Integrated reports have become more concise, with a growing proportion of reports under 100 pages and fewer over 150 pages.

2. Audience for Integrated Reports

• Identification of Audience: The proportion of reports that identify their intended audience has increased over the years.
• Primary Audience: Most reports focus on providers of financial capital, such as shareholders and investors.
• Other Stakeholders: Other stakeholders like employees, customers, and governments are also mentioned, though less frequently.
• Stakeholder Orientation: The IIRC Framework emphasizes stakeholder orientation, but many reports still lack a clear, comprehensive audience identification.

3. Assurance

• External Assurance: External assurance of integrated reports has become more common, with a growing percentage of reports receiving some form of assurance beyond the audit.
• Scope of Assurance: Most assurance relates to key performance indicators (KPIs) or limited assurance over the integrated report itself, with few achieving the level of reasonable assurance comparable to an audit.

Quality of Reporting

• Overall Quality Decline: Despite increased adoption of the IIRC Framework, the average quality score of integrated reports has declined over the four-year period.
• Consistency in Ratings: The relative rankings of the different requirements of the IIRC Framework have remained fairly consistent, with some areas showing stronger performance than others.

Stronger Areas

• Description of the Business and Context: Companies have made progress in describing their business and the external environment in which they operate.
• Strategy and Future Orientation: The strategic focus and future orientation of the reports are areas of relative strength.
• Risks and Mitigation: Reports have improved in addressing risks and their mitigation strategies.

Areas of Weakness

• Opportunities: Fewer reports clearly outline opportunities for value creation.
• Outlook for the Business: The outlook for the business is not well addressed in many reports.
• Statements of Responsibility: The responsibility statements from management are often lacking or not fully aligned with the IIRC Framework.

Specific Topics Examined

1. Adoption of TCFD Recommendations

• The use of TCFD recommendations has increased significantly, with 37% of reports in 2019 referencing them.
• TCFD is seen as a growing area of interest, particularly in climate-related financial disclosures.

2. Boundaries of Integrated Reports

• The boundaries of integrated reports may differ from those of financial statements, and companies need to consider this in their reporting.
• There is a need for more clarity on how to define and communicate these boundaries.

3. Statements of Responsibility

• Management responsibility statements are an essential part of the IIRC Framework but are often not well executed.
• This is an area that the IIRC is focusing on in its 2020 revision of the Framework.

Conclusion

ACCA's report highlights both progress and persistent challenges in the adoption and quality of integrated reporting. While the use of the term and the IIRC Framework has increased, the overall quality of reporting has declined, suggesting a need for better implementation and adherence to the framework. The report also identifies key areas where improvement is necessary, such as linking strategy to value creation and ensuring responsibility statements are properly included. The growing use of other protocols like GRI and TCFD indicates a trend towards more comprehensive and standardized reporting practices, which could help enhance the credibility and comparability of integrated reports.